Feature 1 / Suminoe Textile Group and SDGs

Suminoe Textile Group and

SDGs Sustainable Development Goals

Bio Woven and Bio Flat are seat covering materials made of plant-derived polyester (30% of which is plants). By using less fossil fuel, which is considered to cause various environmental problems, these materials contribute to reducing the environmental impact. Bio Woven and Bio Flat are superior to other bio-based textile materials in terms of productivity and cost. At the same time, since they have the same performance as seat covering materials made of petroleum-derived polyester, Bio Woven and Bio Flat are capable of reproducing the intended design and texture. The Bio Woven and Bio Flat materials are adopted by Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. for the G and X Grades of the LEAF.

Contributing to Energy-Saving by Harnessing Botanical Power

Plant-derived Seat Covering Materials “Bio Woven and Bio Flat”

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted at the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit in September 2015. SDGs comprise 17 goals with 169 targets to be achieved at the global level between 2016 and 2030.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Businesses are considered important partners in achieving SDGs, which call on all businesses to apply their creativity and innovation to solve sustainable development challenges. Under its fundamental development philosophy “KKR+A (Kenko [Health], Kankyo [Environment], Recycle and Amenity),” the Suminoe Textile Group has so far strived for environmental preservation, including improvement in indoor environments and reduction of environmental impact. We will continue to tackle environmental problems and other various issues while regarding the SDGs as our important challenges to be addressed.

1In Consideration of a Comfortable and Safe In-Car Environment

Seat Cushion Materials for Train Cars—SUMICUBE® and Hybrid Cushion Material

2SUMICUBE® is made from safe materials that do not generate cyanide or other poisonous gases when combusted. It is therefore an environmentally friendly product that does not pollute the atmosphere during disposal by incineration. We also offer a hybrid cushion material, which is created by combining SUMICUBE® and the new resin spring material SUMICUBE AIR. The hybrid cushion material is safer, more breathable, more durable, and more comfortable to sit on. SUMICUBE® and the hybrid cushion material are widely used in train cars of JR, private railways and publicly run subways, also finding applications in limited express and Shinkansen bullet train cars, in which greater passenger comfort is required. These cushion materials help ensure that people can use public transportation more comfortably.

Hybrid cushion material for train car seating

Section view of SUMICUBE AIR

East Japan Railway Company, New Commuter Train E235 Series (Yamanote Line) SUMICUBE® seat cushion material

for railway cars

Saitama New Urban Transit, 2020 and 2000 Series

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Suminoe Textile Group CSR

CSR through BusinessOperations

CSR that Serves asa Management Foundation

CompanyPurpose

Specific Management Strategies

Code of Conduct

Company Motto

Contribution to Achieving the SDGs

SUMICUBE AIR

SUMICUBE®

Suminoe Textile Group’s Initiatives to Achieve SDGs

Photo-synthesis

BiodegradationIncineration

StarchSugar

Polymerization

Plant

Fiber

Product

Ethyleneglycol

CO2

Water

These products arecarbon neutral with

no influence on the amountof atmospheric CO2

in their lifecycle.

10Suminoe Textile Group CSR Report 20199 Suminoe Textile Group CSR Report 2019

スミトロン® (SUMITRON) uses more than 50% chips recycled from used PET bottles, thereby contributing to resource conservation. This recycled fiber is used for interior products, automotive textiles, functional materials, and for many other products in a wide range of fields. スミトロン® (SUMITRON) is a polyester yarn that is stain-resistant. Since it is solution-dyed, the yarn has excellent light- and heat-resistant properties, enabling long-term use of the products made of スミトロン®. In its dyeing process, we use a coloring method that discharges no dyeing wastewater in order to prevent water pollution.

Eco-friendly Yarn Made from PET Bottles

スミトロン® (SUMITRON) Continuous Fiber Made from Recycled PET Bottles

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High Deodorizing Performance Ensures Clean Indoor Air

空気を洗う壁紙® (Air Cleaning Wallcoverings) Olefin Plus

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We have established a system to recycle used carpet tiles, which were conventionally discarded, into new carpet tiles. This system has enabled us to reduce waste and realize resource recycling. The ratio of recycled materials in most recycled carpet tiles available on the market ranges from about 25% to 40%. However, ECOS® has achieved a recycled material ratio of up to 84% (in the case of ECOS® iD-8100), far superior to that of existing carpet tiles. Although there are many recycled materials whose origin is unknown, ECOS® only uses waste carpet tiles as recycled materials for the backing material to secure safety by controlling the origin of materials in a visible manner. The SG-500 series using スミトロン® (SUMITRON) has reduced CO2 emissions by 43% as compared to Suminoe’s conventional products. The series has also reduced the product weight by around 5% so as to lessen the load during transportation.

ECOS® Recycled Carpet Tiles Produced Using Horizontal Recycling Technology

Functional Products that Are Useful in Your Everyday Life

Tispa Series Deodorizer for Home Use, “Real Odor Deodorization without Disguising with a Scent”

6The Tispa series deodorizer for home use, “Real Odor Deodorization without Disguising with a Scent,” is a line of deodorizers using トリプルフレッシュ® (TRIPLE FRESH), our proprietary deodorant treatment technology that is employed in many interior products and materials for hotels, automobiles and aircraft. Tispa features zero-energy, long-time cyclic deodorization that uses no light or electricity.

Recommendable for Those who Love Drinking!柿ダノミ® (Kakidanomi) Supplement Containing a Polyphenol Extracted from Persimmons Produced in Nara Prefecture

柿ダノミ® (Kakidanomi) is a supplement containing persimmon (kaki) polyphenol extracted from persimmons grown in Nara Prefecture using a patented processing method. We have developed this supplement through a joint research project with Kindai University. The project was adopted as one of the recipients of the subsidy provided under the FY2016 Nara Prefecture Local Food Product Development Project, a funding scheme implemented by Nara Prefecture to support eligible companies in developing value-added food products using local specialties. Our research team carried out a human clinical trial, whose results showed the supplement’s safety. We also confirmed that 柿ダノミ® (Kakidanomi) has been highly evaluated as a health food (common food). The supplement is helpful in maintaining people’s health.

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Resources for the Future5

ECOS Recycle SystemDouble Recycle

ECOS uses スミトロン® (SUMITRON), a recycled polyester yarn made from used PET bottles, in the surface pile material.

Recycled materials are used for both the surface and backing materials.

Scan here for details.

Scan here for details.

Olefin Plus is a series of new eco-friendly deodorant wallcoverings with a cyclical deoxidization function. Its surface is processed with a recycled material of olefin plastic chips. Olefin Plus is coated with トリプルフレッシュ® (TRIPLE FRESH) Plus deodorizer, which removes 12 types of odor-causing substances. Olefin Plus wallcoverings have high deodorizing performance to remove cigarette and toilet smells, household odors, and body odors associated with aging. By improving the indoor air environment through this property, these wallcoverings are conductive to people’s healthy and comfortable lives. In addition, the series’ unique uneven surface reduces glossy reflection from lighting, helping to create interiors with a calm atmosphere.

Carbon dioxide (CO2)

Odor-causing substances are carried by airflow so as to come into contact with トリプルフレッシュ® (TRIPLE FRESH) on the surface layer, and then they are absorbed.

トリプルフレッシュ® (TRIPLE FRESH) is applied (adhered) to the surface layer of the 空気を洗う壁紙® Wallcoverings.

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2

Odor-causing substances are decomposed into H2O and CO2, which are then released.

4

After releasing these substances, トリプルフレッシュ® (TRIPLE FRESH) is restored to its original state. (The catalyst does not change the original material.)

5

Decomposed intoharmless substances!

The catalyst decomposes the absorbed substances into H2O and CO2.

3

Odor-causingsubstances

Restoration

Absorption

Cyclicdeodorization

Catalyst action

Decomposition

Water (H2O)Water (H2O)

Surface materialSurface material

Backing materialBacking material

Feature 1 / Suminoe Textile Group and SDGs

Installation image of 空気を洗う壁紙 ® (Air Cleaning Wallcoverings)

12Suminoe Textile Group CSR Report 201911 Suminoe Textile Group CSR Report 2019